Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of primary angioplasty (PA) over the risk of free wall rupture (FWR) in reperfused acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

BACKGROUND:

It has been suggested that PA reduces the risk of FWR compared with thrombolysis. However, few studies have evaluated this issue, and there are no data demonstrating this hypothesis.

METHODS:

A total of 1,375 patients with AMI treated with PA (n = 762, 55.4%) or thrombolysis (n = 613, 44.6%) within 12 h after symptoms onset were included. The diagnosis of FWR was made either in the presence of sudden death due to electromechanical dissociation with large pericardial effusion on an echocardiogram or when demonstrated post mortem or at surgery. A multivariable analysis was performed including type of reperfusion strategy.